“Those who hate Muslims and fear their progress and thus fear the spread of Islam, are genuinely keen on defaming Islam and Muslims, but through living examples and not by defaming a figure they see as belonging to the past. Those attempts, regardless of how evil they may be, actually hide behind a big lie.”
“Do you covet [the hope, O believers], that they would believe for you while a party of them used to hear the words of Allah and then distort the Torah after they had understood it while they were knowing?” – (Quran 2:75)
The worldwide furor that was triggered over the movie defaming Prophet Muhammad, has an origin, reason, and consequences.
However and for us to understand all three, we ought to first understand attempts to “defame Islam” and “defame the Prophet”.
Those attempts, regardless of how evil they may be, actually hide behind a big lie.
The primary aim is not to defame the Prophet or Islam- also the optimum goal is not to harm the “Muslims’ Prophet”, they have no real interest in that, but rather the sole purpose is to trigger the fury of Muslims and turn the world’s eyes towards them, to see how “ugly” and “barbaric” is their anger.
Let me put this more clear. Those who hate Muslims and fear their progress and thus fear the spread of Islam, are genuinely keen on defaming Islam and Muslims, but through living examples and not by defaming a figure they see as belonging to the past.
And knowing how precious the Prophet and Islam are to the heart of Muslims worldwide, they chose to step over the red line, thereby triggering the rage of world Muslims.
What they see as more powerful tool to wreak havoc the progress of Muslims and the spread of Islam is tarnishing the image of living Muslims, by showing them as angry people who take to the streets, burn buildings and harm innocent people to defend their religion. This, in a way, is capable of driving any person away from Islam, scaring him/her of the consequences of becoming a Muslim one day.
That’s why, as I said in the intro of this column that analyzing such actions sand delving deep beyond their exterior will help us understand their true motives, reason and expected consequences, which kept unfolding ever since the outbreak of that blasphemous movie about Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.
It’s not just the producer of the movie who should apologize to Muslims, if apology carries any value whatsoever, but also those who helped spread it, even in good will, such as raising awareness about its existence. Also those Muslims who gave in to their anger and attempts to fuel it, taking to the streets, arranging aggressive protests, burning state buildings and harming innocent people should apologize to the Muslim Ummah, for they, indeed, facilitated the fulfillment of the prime aim of those malevolence attempts to defame and Muslims.
Brothers and Sisters, it’s time we learn the lesson. Do you think a cheap movie or videos is what will gain us fame or defame our image? Do you think that such blasphemous attempts targeting the noble Prophet, starting with the Danish Cartoons, are the first of their kind?
Well they are as old as the Prophet’s mission, as old as the revelation itself. We all learned in school syllabi how the Prophet, peace be upon him, was subject to endless attempts of humiliation and heresy, even from those most close to him. We all learned how the polytheist tribal leaders used to call him madman, magician, a poet and sorcerer. The Muslim Community back then never organized a street march to defend the prophet, or went to burn the house of Abu Jahl, did they?
The Prophet doesn’t need defense. Nor does Islam.
I’m not saying that we should turn a deaf ear to such viciousness. But we should act wisely. Only this will break the prime aim of those who wish to bring down Islam and the Muslim Ummah. Only this will show the world the weight of Islam and Muslims.
Yes we should express our anger in official statements and well-organized set of conferences and perhaps street marches. But over and above, we should do our best showing the world, through equally strong media channels, who is the Prophet and what is Islam.
The enemy doesn’t fear our anger. The enemy actually seeks our anger.
Be wise! Be proactive! Be practical. Know your enemy and learn his tactics!
Stay Blessed. See you next month inshaAllah.
Wassalaam, Maha Youssuf The Muslim Tribune Editor maha@muslimtribune.org
Posted on: October 1, 2012